You know it's going to be a dirty election when...

the DOJ Secretary himself is engaging in vote buying on the baranggay level and encouraging local officials to "work for" (ehem cheat... cough) a 12-0 TU win by giving them cash incentives (not unlike the move made by Arroyo and Lilia Pineda to buy off the COMELEC officials at GMA's La Vista home last Jan. 2004). And I don't believe for a second na sariling pera ni Raul Gonzalez ang gagamitin niya para bayaran ang mga officials na yan (even if he did use his own money--vote buying pa rin yan, unethical and illegal.)

P10T each barangay
for 12-0 TU victory
Gonzalez: So? It’s my – not government – money

BY EVANGELINE DE VERA

JUSTICE Secretary Raul Gonzalez on Sunday offered P10,000 to each of the 180 barangay captains in Iloilo who could deliver a 12-0 victory for Team Unity.

Gonzalez yesterday confirmed the report and said the money would come from his personal funds.

"It’s a prize, an incentive for them to work harder. This is my personal contribution to Team Unity. Marami akong pera, eh. You want to borrow? When I give money, I can say from which safe in my house it came from. Isang harvest lang ng misis ko yan sa kanyang manukan," he said.

He said he will shoulder the expenses of the Team Unity grand rally in Iloilo on May 10.

"I will spend for it all. I’m staking my leadership in Iloilo City for it," he said.

He said it would be up to the barangay captains if they will share the P10,000 "incentive" with their constituents."

And unfortunately, this kind of strategy/dirty trick will be replicated by the admin all over the country. But don't expect Joker "Ubusin ang mga Corrupt" Arroyo to make a fuss about this. Tahimik lang siya dito. Shhh....

And some people from the admin have the nerve to question the survey ratings showing the RP as one of the most corrupt in asia under the current administration. The admin's permissive culture of vote buying is even worse under this current administration. Oh Well. Mahirap talagang gisingin ang nagtutulog-tulugan.

UPDATE: I don't think Raul will get into trouble with the COMELEC because according to COMELEC's talking dude James Jimenez:

Technically, I don’t think any law has been violated by the Secretary of Justice’s claim that he would give monetary rewards to baranggay captains who manage a 12-0 victory for TU in their respective jurisdictions. First, the offer seems not to have been made to voters to influence them to vote straight for TU; rather the offer was made to people who could convince enough people to vote straight.

There you have it. It's the same thing with the other bigshot admin officials. They'll get away with it.